This website uses features which update page content based on user actions. If you are using assistive technology to view web content, please ensure your settings allow for the page content to update after initial load (this is sometimes called "forms mode"). Additionally, if you are using assistive technology and would like to be notified of items via alert boxes, please follow this link to enable alert boxes for your session profile.

As Theodore Roosevelt said, some 110 years ago, “The government is us—we are the government, you and I.”

We are all contributors to this great nation. We have many reasons to be proud of the men and women from every community who choose a career in public service.

Public servants at all levels of government tackle immense challenges for our country each and every day. Those challenges don’t pause when budgets tighten – they become more complex. Now more than ever, government employees need our support, encouragement and appreciation for their dedication to making a difference for others.

Since 1985, the President and Congress have designated the first week of May to honor the men and women who serve our country as Federal, State, county, and local government employees. We hope you’ll take full advantage of Public Service Recognition Week (May 5-11, 2013) as an occasion to celebrate the value of your agency’s employees and the services they provide the American people, and to communicate that value to the broader public.

You can do several things to participate, even with limited resources and time. Some suggestions include:

Choose a day to greet your employees at the door and thank them for their service.

Send an all-staff message of appreciation, including a statement about the collective impact your agency’s employees are making on behalf of the American people.

Blog or tweet about a recent accomplishment that demonstrates the value of the services your agency provides.

Post a brief video online thanking government workers, talking about why you serve or sharing what you are most proud of among your agency’s accomplishments.

Consider convening your SES or other executive leadership, if you haven’t done so in a while.

Encourage your employees to talk about their work with local schools or civic groups throughout the week.

Open your agency for job-shadowing or a family day event.

If you would like additional information about PSRW and how your agency can get involved, check out the Celebration Toolkit at www.psrw.org or contact the Partnership for Public Service at psrw@ourpublicservice.org.